So, yesterday I got a session on an Epic Oxygen board and can compare it to my Spleene Session 141.The Oxygen is 135X47 which is pretty short and wide compared to the Spleene at 141X43.The Spleene is the normal shape for the door type boards, the edge being concave just a little bit, and with very square tips to give you amazing upwind ability.Been on a Spleene for light wind since 2008.I was under the impression that you really had to have that shape to get great lightwind performance.So the Oxygen has a shape like your normal sized twintips do, the sidecut is convex for good carving and at 135cm, I thought it was too short to do the job.WRONG!!!I was shocked and pleasantly surprised by what the Oxygen did.First off, it is light, flexy and lively... it did not feel like most dead flat, square, no carve lighwind boards. Wood core with a nice flexy tip and the tips have a shape that releases off the water really, really well, and somehow help make the board not feel like it is 47cm wide.It carves and transitions like your regular board does, and better than many. The construction looks very good, the board comes with two sets of fins, the smaller ones were on this board. The pads and strap combo are very good, held my feet nicely with my booties on and the foot pads are exceptional, the toe grip was great. It also happens to be a graphically good looking board. The best thing I liked about it, was that you I could go out in wind as light or lighter than what the Session can, but it jumps like a regular sized TT, which is huge for me.Being of very basic talent as a rider, I can use all the help I can get, and when I get on my Spleene on the light days, after having ridden my Shinn Luigi most of the time, my feel for jumping on the Spleene is just not there, it releases off the water crappy and I sometimes do those fancy one footed board off tricks even when I don't mean to!!! The first jump on the Oxygen felt totally normal, not like I was on a lightwind board, it edged and released the way you want a board to. It did not feel large or heavy in the air and it was easy to land. It also slides around to toeside very smoothly for carvy transitions. I came back in and rode my Shinn Luigi for a few minutes, just to make sure I was not imagining things.So if you don't ride your lightwind board unless you absolutely cannot go out without it, I recommend trying a modern shorter wider lightwind board like the Oxygen.I was told that this idea works but I was skeptical. I tried a few short lightwind boards in the past that sucked.The Epic Oxygen just changed the lightwind game completely, for me.I can go out and actually have fun on a lightwind board.That is a big deal to me, for sure.So who wants to buy my Spleene????...because I've gotta get some Oxygen.

Last edited by L0KI on Tue May 07, 2013 8:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

I recently had a chance to try out the Epic Oxygen board. I didn't bring my lightwind board (Spleene Session) one day for some reason and my buddy was nice enough to let me try out his Oxygen. It was blowing 15 - 18 and I put up my 11m and went for a ride. Right away I knew this was going to be a fun board. I had no trouble staying up wind and wasn't just mowing the grass like I would be on my Spleene. The Oxygen has very nice pop and releases from the water with little effort. Very easy to break it loose and spin around 180 for some nice carvey turns with big spray. Got a couple of nice jumps in and the board landed very smooth for how wide it is. It felt very light on the feet in the air and the pads are very comfortable.I’m not quite ready to get rid of my Spleene yet but an Oxygen would definitely be a great upgraded replacement board. For now I just might be forgetting my Spleene more often if I know my buddy is coming out with his Oxygen.

Kami,If that is how you feel about your Flydoor, this will change everything for you.Be prepared to hate your door afterwards though.Talk to Dimitri about it, I'm sure he would love to get you some fresh Oxygen!!!

1. are the rails asymmetrical - that is does the toeside rail have a different radius than the heel side rail?2. how much low end do you give up compared to a door?3. how does it handle chop and small waves?4. is the ride harsh on old knees?

Rails are symmetrical and concave like a normal board, fins at the four corners like a regular board as well.It is beating my Spleene Session 141 X 43 upwind, and outpointed a huge Flysurfer door the last time out with our crew.Much better in chop than my Spleene ever was, ....as good as many new regular sized boards.Super comfortable launching and landing jumps, does not feel like a big board, light and lively feeling.More comfortable than I thought a lightwind board could be, my knees are 53 years old, so I understand what you are asking.

Gear: SCREAMER 7/9/12/14 for Free Style. Not to forget the SCREAMER 10 LTD for my one go kite.SURF 8 & 12 for the waves. RENEGADE 6.5 and 9 for all around kiting. And some times I use my son's JUNIOR PRO 4 when it blows 45+ for the waves.Just try the EPICKITES and you will see for yourself.

The OXYGEN board is a special board. It was designed for light wind conditions because if its width. But what makes this board so special is the way it feels under your feet once you get on it and start riding it. It was designed to ride in 6 to 13 knots for 180lbs and 8 to 18 knots for 210 + lbs. But you can always ride the OXYGEN board in 18 to 20 knots and use a 7 meter kite. So if you don't have a bigger kite or you are lazy to go out and pump a bigger kite, then all you have to do is use the OXYGEN and keep your small kite.

P.S. When people see the OXYGEN board for the first time, their first impression is: "WHAOOO THIS BOARD IS WIDE!!!". But then once they lift it, their second impression is: "MY GOD THIS BOARD IS LIGHT!!!". Then once they jump on it and start riding it, they get amazed on how alive and how much pop this board has for a light wind board. This happens all the time.

Oldnbroken wrote:outpointed a huge Flysurfer door the last time out with our crew

I don't intend starting an argument... but everytime I'm out on the S3's and the Flydoor and I'm angling way upwind, I always have to stop myself crowing and admit that the other riders simply might not be trying to go upwind so fast and hard